


Choose Your Own SorMik Adventure

by Nikoshinigami



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Angst, Choose Your Own Adventure, Dark, M/M, Romance, Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-20 11:05:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 13,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikoshinigami/pseuds/Nikoshinigami
Summary: Post-Game Choose Your Own Adventure story. Please take note of the tags.There are three paths and fourteen endings. Full list of endings can be found here.





	1. Chapter 1

Sleep is a timeless plane of existence that manifests as an eternity and yet remains unflinchingly fleeting. A moment in the mind can be ages in the world just as lifetimes can be lived through dreams in the blink of a tired eye. Time has no rhyme or reason in the confines of unconsciousness. It is a realm outside of all influence and never more completely than it was for Sorey.

In his endless dreams there were always fields of green and a turquoise sky so clear and beautiful even the clouds drew back in awe. He dreamed of mountains and ruins, of laughter and of song. He loved the way the wind sang through an empty hall, the lilt of a refrain through the tree's canopy, the chorus of rain against stone and earth. He loved the absence of loneliness as he spun around under the sun with another's hands held tight in his own, capes fluttering in the wind as pointlessly they revolved like two stars drawn towards each other. Lavender eyes squinted with laughter but never drifted in their gaze from his own. 

Sorey dreamed of a world where humans and seraphim could live together. His literal dreams were no different from the one that first called him to sleep.

 

[That's enough. It's time to wake up.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898075)  
[Just five more minutes...](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898037)


	2. Chapter 2

The path towards the ruins was lush and green, standing in stark contrast to the grey stone which served to mark the place where something ancient had once stood. While the stones were weathered and blistered with age, it was still an easy feat for Sorey to figure out their worn secrets pointing towards a hidden door. It was almost enough to make him forget everything else. Giddy, Sorey followed the markers to the point where large stones were primed to slide apart, the ivy disguising every crack and crevice that otherwise would have pointed out the discovery. Such a well hidden place was surely still intact, perhaps even unlooted unlike so many he'd seen. He could not wait to press the disguised release and descend through the open door.

To Sorey's surprise, the inside was well lit with torches. He had no difficulty making his way down, more light promised at the bottom as he slowly came into the first of the ruin's rooms. It looked to be a temple with iconic scenes depicted on the walls, the room echoing with the roar of unseen water. Light bounced around with a blueish hue but, unlike with the torches on the stairwell, Sorey could not pinpoint its source. It was beautiful either way. The whole place seemed to sparkle like gemstones. Sorey touched the engravings lovingly as he slowly followed the sound of running water deeper into the underground structure.

That was not the only sound he could hear, though.

The further Sorey walked, the more easily he could hear what sounded like a struggle happening several rooms ahead. It seemed he was not alone in the ruins, though the lit torches had already caused him to consider as much. There was no clashing of swords or screams, but the groans and strangled shouts were testament enough to the conflict ahead. Someone was in trouble, it seemed, and Sorey alone was there to help.

 

[Charge head-first into danger?](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898042)  
[Go quietly and try to judge the scene first.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898058)


	3. Chapter 3

Dreams were full of magic and of things that were believed without need or want of explanation. Sorey didn't remember when they removed their clothes but knew without question the moment when he felt the rub of Mikleo's thigh against his bare erection. He knew the smoothness of Mikleo's skin under his fingertips and the warmth of his belly as he arched into Sorey looming above him. The grass felt more like pillows of soft cotton than like the scratchiness of earth. It wasn't worth questioning when it simply was and had to be. Questions required a less distracted mind. Sorey only had thoughts of Mikleo.

He kissed his lips as he surged up to part Mikleo's legs, a hand under each knee as he spread him wide. Mikleo's surprised, if not slightly indignant gasp fell away to mutual moans of delight, pleasuring sparking like electricity through their minds as sensation took over for conscious thought. Sorey rutted against him, his penis sliding along its slender companion, testicles slapping gently against the other's set. It felt so good; felt mind-numbingly wonderful. He growled deep in his throat with the want for more and with the eagerness Mikleo showed to pursue it together. 

"Come on," Mikleo sighed among broken kisses, too proud to beg or to ask for what he wanted. He didn't need to. Sorey knew him. Sorey knew him more intimately then he had ever known himself. Mikleo was weak to attention to his neck, and weaker still as attention moved down: collar bone, nipples, waist and groin, and greatest still the place that was most awkward for him to pleasure himself.

But not for Sorey.

Fingers magically moistened by a dream that didn't care to be slowed down with details, Sorey ran his right hand down the back of Mikleo's thigh until his fingers pressed against the puckered skin of his entrance. That alone, heightened with anticipation, made Mikleo lean his head back against the grass and grunt with need. Sorey loved every undignified sound that came from his lover; loved how desire pushed aside many of his protective ticks and laid him bare with honesty. Sorey pressed inside him with one finger, not having to search in the least to find the place inside that drove Mikleo's primal brain to the forefront every single time. It was too sensitive to touch outright, responding best to adjacent caresses and the gentlest of prodding. His first stroke had Mikleo all but howling, the pitch of his voice unabashedly high as the seraph keened with fingers ripping at the earth as he pulled at the lawn. Sorey felt as though he could come just in hearing Mikleo's own cries of pleasure. He could feel a sympathetic pleasure in the satisfaction of making him undone. 

He had no need to satiate himself on Mikleo's reaction alone, though. Mikleo loved to be fucked. He loved the way Sorey's girth enraptured the nerves along his entrance and the way the head slid past his most sensitive place with just the perfect imprecision of pressure. He greedily thrust himself against the intruding finger, begging for more in every way that didn't require words. He could be wanton and licentious but he always seemed to prefer that his desires not be spoken of but rather inferred. They both enjoyed looking for clues and thinking things through to logical conclusions. It was just another game to play, another part that spoke to their combined whole.

Sorey's hands were back to their twin grasp at Mikleo's knees without any attention spared towards the necessary and assumed. Whether or not certain steps had been taken, Sorey believed without a doubt that Mikleo was now ready. His own erection was mysteriously but believably slick as was the loosened ring of flesh that parted around him as he let his body sink down against Mikleo's. Sorey had no compulsions when it came to disguising his own pleasure. He groaned loudly at the way Mikleo felt, biting into his bottom lip as the quivering muscle around him held him prisoner. He always felt as though he were at Mikleo's mercy at this point and not, he supposed, the other way around. He was Mikleo's to command, he stopped and started when his lover spoke; when Mikleo ordered, Sorey obeyed. He could only share in what Mikleo offered. Mikleo wanted everything, though, and was never as patient as he'd like others to believe. He spurned Sorey on with a nod and a grunt, bouncing his rump against Sorey's enveloped groin.

From there it was nothing but desperate noises, names, and confessions of love. Sensation was a blur of repetition and building intensity. Were anyone else to exist in this dream world of Sorey's making, they would surely have found the two of them out as their cries echoed off the mountains. But they were alone here, able to do whatever they wanted as often, as loudly, and as passionately as they wanted. Sorey came with a groan and vision whited out in unbridled ecstasy, his belly painted in streams of release from his breathless and satiated lover.

 

[That's enough dreaming. It's time to rejoin the real world.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897989)  
[Leaving now just wouldn't be right...](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898040)


	4. Chapter 4

Sorey placed the tip of his sword under Mikleo's chin, forcing him to look up at him. "Why didn't you wait?" he asked, the feeling of betrayal only growing within him as he watched the flutter of Mikleo's long lashes.

The seraph smiled sadly, his whole body sinking with the weight of a weary heart. "Because I wasn't the one sleeping, Sorey. Life went on. And I had to keep living."

"Not like this," Sorey insisted, gesturing to the body still bleeding out onto the floor. "Not with people like him."

Mikleo followed his gestured and did not look away, his eyes fixed and focused only on the corpse of his lover. "He was nice," he said. "He liked ancient languages. He studied runes. I liked having someone to take along to places like this. People to talk to. I liked... having someone to hold at night. I liked not being lonely."

Sorey shook his head, pointing his sword at him once more though Mikleo's gaze now belonged only to the dead. "You gave up on me! You moved on! You forgot me!"

"If you truly wished for me to put my entire life on hold until your return, then you wished for me to endure a far more painful fate than the one you left me with."

Sorey drove his tempered blade into Mikleo's chest, hoping that in some way he could instill in him some understanding of the pain he was putting him through. Mikleo didn't seem surprised though he made no move to stop him. The amethyst waves of malevolence that rolled along the blade licked at his white coat as it soaked through in blood. "This is all your fault," Sorey proclaimed. "I upheld my promise. You let me down! You lied to me!"

"I _loved_ you," Mikleo corrected, blood bubbling up from his chest to spill down his pale chin. "Which makes this, perhaps, the greatest mercy I've ever known." With a rattling breath he fell backwards off the sword, his eyes open but sightless as he came to rest on the stone. 

Sorey licked the blood from his sword as he stepped over him, his interest in the ruins forgotten. There was a world outside that had let him down. It was time for the age of chaos to renew.

 **THE END**  
-Chaos Reigns-


	5. Chapter 5

Sword in his hand, the blade augmented in amethyst swirls of malevolence, Sorey stalked over to the debauched couple and ran the lover through. Though traditionally dull, the tempered blade stabbed through his back as easily as if it were the air itself. With a gurgle the body fell forward, eliciting a squawk from Mikleo below him. There was cursing in question then terror in realization as Mikleo pushed himself away from the human's corpse, eyes searching for the cause of his destruction.

Sorey stood proudly, blood dripping from his sword. He loved the wide-eyed realization that dawned on Mikleo's terror-struck face. 

"Sorey..." he breathed out, creating distance between them, pulling his tunic down to cover himself almost completely. He stumbled as he walked, tripping over his own discarded pants and falling back to the floor with a thump.

It was almost comical. He'd gone from breathy cries of ecstasy to startled horror in almost no time at all. Sorey wondered if Mikleo was so fickle in all things. His lack of faith in Sorey seemed testament to as much.

"Sorey," Mikleo whispered again, tears falling from his eyes. "Sorey, you're a hellion," he cried.

He supposed he was. It made sense as to why his sword was writhing in malevolence. It didn't concern him as much as he'd always thought it would, the idea that he was overtaken by emotion just a fact that was impossible to deny. But if he was a hellion, how dare Mikleo be considered pure. Of the two of them it was certainly the seraph that had done the most in his life to be deserving of malevolence.

 

[Kill Mikleo](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898000)  
[Spare Mikleo](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897973)


	6. Chapter 6

The lover scooted back several feet, no longer forced to his knees with his job now complete. He watched Sorey as though waiting for some chance to attack, his deflated dick still shiny with lube and semen while Mikleo's red ass kept its consignment within. They looked utterly spent; completely exhausted. The lover didn't matter though. He only existed so long as he could be used to hurt Mikleo. His job performed, his need was met. Sorey did not hesitate at all as he pulled the trigger.

The lover fell backwards with a hole in his head, Mikleo letting out a pained cry as he jumped at the sound of the gun. He stayed hunched on the ground, hiding himself behind bent arms, choked sobs wracking his tired body as he lay at Sorey's feet.

How could something so beautiful be so disgusting inside? Sorey stroked his hair affectionately all the same. This has once been his immaculate Mikleo.

The seraph flinched from him, shaking him off, scooting away to avoid the touch of his hands. "You're a hellion.... you're a _hellion_! What am I supposed to do?" he moaned.

 _Run_ , was the immediate thought in Sorey's head. That's what Gramps had always told them to do. That short little memory only distracted him for a moment, but a moment was all the time Mikleo required. 

Ripping the gun from Sorey's loose grip, Mikleo quickly stuck the barrel between his own lips. Sorey's eyes grew wide as he stared in fascination at the spray that erupted from the back of his skull. The seraph fell dead without another sound uttered, the gun clanging to the stone as it skittered out of his hand.

He supposed, in his own way, Mikleo had run in the end. It seemed like such a waste to let such beauty go to rot, though. Seasoned as he was in putrescence, Sorey still found his stomach rumbling with the promise of seraphim as a meal. He unhinged his jaw and let his tongue caress Mikleo's still face strewn in tears and blood before choking him down head first to his gullet, laughing darkly as he realized at last that Mikleo was once again his and his alone.

 **THE END**  
-Escape-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my fault. You had plenty of other choices along the way.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorey placed the tip of his sword under Mikleo's chin, forcing him to look up at him. "Tell me you don't love him," he demanded, the feeling of betrayal only growing within him as he watched the flutter of Mikleo's long lashes.

The seraph smiled sadly, his whole body sinking with the weight of a weary heart. "I've only ever loved you," he said. "And it seems I've lost you again already."

Lost? Sorey looked at the malevolence crawling over his sword, for a moment starting to see it as a thing of worry. But no--no, this was the way it was always meant to be. From the very beginning, this was what they were raise to become.

Sorey held his hand out to Mikleo, offering to help him rise. "If you love me, then become my Prime Lord," he suggested. "Just you and me, together forever in ways no one else can ever dream of or interfere."

Mikleo's face looked stricken, as though the idea were beyond crazy. His eyes danced between Sorey and the bloody corpse. 

_No._ Sorey grabbed him by the throat and lifted Mikleo off his feet. No, he would not permit those those thoughts to linger on the pathetic beast he'd put down minutes before. Mikleo gasped for breath, his hands pulling at Sorey's forearm. There, at least, Sorey knew he had his undivided attention. "I could just kill you if you like, but then it would have all been for nothing, right? So choose me. Be with me. None of this would have ever happened if it weren't for Shepherds. We could have been happy as two human boys. We would have loved each other our whole lives and died the same day as old men covered in scars. Everyone has only ever tried to tear us apart. I'll forgive you if you join me. I'll hide you away where no one will ever even see you again until you exist only as my Mikleo. No one will ever loved you as fully as I will, possess you as entirely or punish you as much as you deserve. Choose me over death and all the years waiting will be worth it. Say you love me and become mine alone."

There were tears in Mikleo's eyes as he struggled to breathe, his feet kicking out as his body became heavy. For a moment, Sorey thought that this would be the last time he heard his voice--rasping for air as it was. But his eyes lowered in consent, his will spreading out towards Sorey in an intimate caress of spirit. Sorey let him go and enveloped him in his arms instead, listening to the great gasps for breath that accompanied the wordless pact they forged.

It didn't take long for the scales to form once the bond sent the malevolence his way, but Sorey loved to run his fingers over the smooth texture that slowly covered his Prime Lord's neck. "I forgive you," he whispered as Mikleo screamed with the violent ripping of flesh, dark wings breaking free of his body. "I love you," he assured him, as he kissed at the circlet on his head.

This was the way it was always meant to be. Born of death and destruction, their fates extended only towards the perpetuation of them both. Together they would form a new age. The world owed Sorey more than he was sure it could ever repay.

**THE END**  
-Forsaken- 


	8. Chapter 8

PLACE HOLDER


	9. Chapter 9

Sorey awoke with a purpose in his soul that demanded immediate attention. It was time for him to live the life he'd put on hold and the northern lands were calling for him. His time of sleeping was done. Maotelus fashioned him into a seraphim and sent him on his way, sad to see his companion leave but grateful to him and benevolent. There was nothing more for the two of them to accomplish. Time could once again tick by at a steady pace as Sorey rejoined the living and walked the land.

Mikleo was calling to him.

Whether it was real or not, Sorey felt assured his heart knew were to take him, steering him true with every turn. Mikleo was north, not far into lands they'd only dreamed of. He was there, not waiting and yet still somehow waiting for him. Sorey promised him on the wind that he'd try to get there faster. He swore on the stars at night that he would reach him before too long.

The temple was beautiful, the ruins preserved of all their riches which shimmered in the sunlight, reflecting off the beautiful cascades of water that decorated the walls with their roaring sparkle. Sorey hardly saw a thing, though, as his feet continued to carry him. Mikleo was head. He knew it in his bones. His body hastened him with every breath to hurry to him, just a little further, just there beyond the next door.

When at last Sorey saw someone, it was a man of adventure walking towards a central stone with a staff held in his hand. His long hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, the thick tresses a familiar shade of pale aquamarine. There was no time to stop and stare, though. He felt himself urged faster and in a moment watched as the man before him fell through the floor under his feet. Sorey leapt out, his arm reaching towards the adventurer to save him.

They'd been here once before.

Sorey looked down at the man held safely in his grasp, the gloved hand caught in his own firm grip. Lavender eyes shone up at him with more emotion than a heart could carry and it stole Sorey's breath away to see that beautiful face once again.

Mikleo. His Mikleo.

Pulling him up to safety, it was only a matter of seconds before their arms were around each other, faces wet with tears of joy and laughter spilling out between every shaky breath.

"Sorey!" Mikleo exclaimed, bigger and stronger than he'd been before and all the more able to crush Sorey in his excited grip.

Sorey didn't mind. He'd never mind such honest enthusiasm. "Mikleo," he answered, kissing his hair.

Time did them both a favor and stopped for a while, letting them soak in the ecstasy of their reunion, more joyous an experience than any other known in life. They were together again, truly and in all ways. Sorey's dream was now and forever a reality.

 **The End**  
-Happily Ever After-


	10. Chapter 10

Spare him? After what he'd done? After betraying Sorey's trust and breaking his heart? After abandoning him after years of waiting? Spare _him_?

The fact that such a though even crossed his mind made Sorey feel ill, malevolence rolling over him to comfort the pain with reassurance that everything was going to be okay--he was going to make it okay. He'd killed the man he'd been replaced with and there was no going back from that. His path was set the moment his sword first drew blood. Sorey knew that. He imagined Mikleo did too.

"You know... I wish I never woke up," Sorey confessed, staring down at the one who had once been his everything. He held out his sword with the expectation of some form of struggle only to find his blade easily embedded in Mikleo's traitorous chest. He doubted there still existed a heart inside him to stab; was almost surprised to see the foul creature could even bleed. His lavender eyes were wide and teary, his arms extending outwards not to guard against him but to tug Sorey close. How many years had it been, Sorey wondered, as he resisted the pull of Mikleo's hands as they grasped the loose ends of his shirt.

"S.. So..rey..." Blood oozed from his parted lips as Mikleo slowly slid back off the sword and to the ground, slumped and still, his breath rasping loudly until his chest finally ceased its movement and the sounds of the dying gave way to death.

Search ended, then. Mission accomplished. Sorey had left his world of pleasant dreams to find his beloved and there he lay. Sliding his sword back into its sheath, Sorey looked around at the engravings and runes carved into the ancient stone. It'd be a waste not to take his time and fully explore this beautiful place. He had all the time in the world to devote to the beauty of an impermanent history in an age where there was nothing else of value that still lived.

THE END  
-Impermanence-


	11. Chapter 11

Sorey wasn't sure what it was--a rock or perhaps even his own two feet--but his run soon turned into a tumble that sent him rolling down the green slopes of their mountain. 

"Sorey!" Mikleo called out, his voice loud and colored in obvious concern.

Sorey was still laughing as he rolled, though, with a few somersaults and a slide. When he came to a stop, he was staring up at the clear sky, covered in grass, breathless, and overflowing with mirth. He must have looked ridiculous bouncing end over end down and laughing. Not cool at all; definitely miles from impressive. So much for an assured victory.

Mikleo was kneeling beside him in the blink of an eye, his hands gentle as they pressed to Sorey's head with narrow eyes taking him in from head to foot. "Are you alright? Anything hurt?" he asked quite seriously, the uncertain motions of his hands making it obvious he wanted to help but wasn't sure if his first instincts wouldn't cause further injury.

He was so beautiful when he worried, all his love so plainly written in every crease of concern his face wore. So beautiful and yet it was the parts of him that reflected in the expressions on his pretty face that drove Sorey to thoughts and fantasies that stoked the flames in him. Sorey smiled up at his lifelong friend, grabbing him by an arm and pulling him down. With an indignant squawk, Mikleo landed half on him. With a further tug and quick roll, Sorey maneuvered himself on top, looking down at his surprised friend with a playfulness that had grown more intense in the later part of their shared lives. 

"Great," Mikleo said with a scowl and a blush. "Now we're both covered in dirt."

Sorey chuckled unapologetically as he beamed at him, shifting his weight to his forearms as he ducked his face down to the level of Mikleo's neck.

 

[No more. I want the real Mikleo.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898024)  
[Ah... this dream...](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898018)


	12. Chapter 12

Sorey looked at the lover who's eyes watched Sorey with hatred burning from their core. He supposed, from one perspective, he certainly might look like the bad guy here. It just went to show how little the lover really new about the man he was sheathed fully within. He didn't matter though. He only existed so long as he could be used to hurt Mikleo. It had sounded like a fun idea but Sorey had quickly grown tired of it and without pause or needless concern he effortlessly pulled the trigger.

The lover fell backwards with a hole in his head, Mikleo letting out a pained cry as he came free. He stayed hunched on the ground, hiding himself behind bent arms, choked sobs wracking his tired body as he lay at Sorey's feet.

How could something so beautiful be so disgusting inside? Sorey stroked his hair affectionately all the same. This has once been his immaculate Mikleo.

The seraph flinched from him, shaking him off, scooting away to avoid the touch of his hands. "You're a hellion. Oh, Sorey... what am I supposed to do?!" he moaned.

 _Run_ , was the immediate thought in Sorey's head. That's what Gramps had always told them to do. That short little memory only distracted him for a moment, but a moment was all the time Mikleo required. 

Ripping the gun from Sorey's loose grip, Mikleo pointed the barrel between his eyes. This wasn't at all what Gramps had taught them. Mortal weapons were pointless in defense against a hellion. The gun went off and Sorey saw only the flash of white from the muzzle as it discharged, sending the bullet into his face. He fell in a heap to the stone floor without a sound, the limited amount of blood a clear sign of the malevolence within.

When Sorey awoke, Mikleo was gone, leaving behind the stinking corpse of his lover in their shared tomb. It would be a tasty snack to enjoy before tracking the seraphim down. He licked his lips as he rose up from the bloody stone. Just a nibble before their game of cat and mouse.

 **THE END**  
-Hide and Seek-


	13. Chapter 13

Sorey woke up with a stretch and a yawn, his eyes staring up at a domed ceiling with blanket understanding. He was indoors somewhere but he couldn't remember where. He'd been sleeping somewhere strange but he couldn't remember why. Even as he blinked the sleep from his eyes, Sorey was losing sight of the dream he'd just been having, the happy couple from that place of green and tranquility slipping away to hazy memory. 

That's all they were--dreams. There was no such thing as a beautiful young man with lavender eyes and pale, aquamarine hair. Just a being of fantasy soon to be forgotten as the day stretched on before him.

Sorey needed to find people. He needed to figure out what he was doing there.

He needed, he realized, to figure out his own name.

There was a lot he seemed to have forgotten. It was a good thing that he was a seraphim. At the very least, he had all the time in the world to figure it out.

 

 **The End**  
-A Life Less Lived-


	14. Chapter 14

Sorey awoke with a purpose in his soul that ebbed with patient attention. It seemed perhaps that it was time for him to live the life he'd put on hold though his human lifetime seemed at last to have been spent. At some point in his slumber, Maotelus had fashioned him into a seraphim and while the change was somewhat expected, it left Sorey feeling blank and hollow. He remembered some things but most thoughts had no solid return. The only thing bright and steady was Mikleo. Sorey said his goodbyes and headed out to find him. There was almost literally nothing else for him to do.

He wasn't quite sure why the north was calling to him but it felt right to follow that hunch. Something about caverns unexplored and plans made long ago. Having nothing else to go on, he walked on. It felt good to walk again regardless, and to breathe in the cool air. Was it familiar? He didn't know. After years of dreams, he longed for memories. 

It didn't take long before Sorey found himself at a cross roads with two signs pointing in opposite directions of the trail. To the left the road promised a river with the right sign directing Sorey to a town. Looking down each path, he could see the promised sights in the distance.

[Go Left towards the river](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898033)  
[Go Right towards the town](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898054)


	15. Chapter 15

The pub was loud but energetic as Sorey crossed through the crowded threshold. Humans leaned on tables, stood at the bar, and played at games with a sense of merriment that permeated every surface. There was not even a hint of malevolence in them as they enjoyed themselves and their company. Sorey was in love with the world he'd woken up in. So much happiness. So much joy. He could feel the health of the world all around him, and even more so in the packed presence of humanity. That they acknowledged him as though he were human as well filled his heart to the brim, pleasant words like 'excuse me' as regular men walked past denying everything that had been part of the world he'd left behind. It made everything seem worth it. He was living part of his dream. All that remained was locating Mikleo. Of the two dreams they'd shared, that seemed so much easier than creating this new world.

Sorey tried to find a place to stand for a bit and get his bearings, not wanting to be a nuisance to the fine people of the town and interrupt those who were happy to be left alone. By the fire at the far end of the room could hear music playing above the cheer of the gathered humans. It seemed as good a place as any to stand and wait as he sussed out the potential from the masses.

He found a nice pillar to lean against, his attention drawn to the musician as he strummed his instrument and intermittently picked along the strings. Sorey's passing interest in his art became much more pressing as the man performed, though. Listening to the sad melody, Sorey braced himself against wood at his back.

Alone in life, he does not weep  
awaiting he who still does sleep  
His beauty grows, his heart holds fast  
but into darkness he has passed. 

The ruins of old their stories keep  
with treasures hidden for the wise to reap  
but through a trap was he then lost  
his ambition paid with life the cost.

Into the pit, body landing in a heap  
through the stone his blood did seep  
lost to all, the ruins too came down  
sealing him within his favorite playground

Now alone in death, he waits in the deep  
for the one who still does sleep  
His beauty fades, his heart grows cold  
abandoned seraph of the Shepherd's fold

THE END  
-The Uncontested Plummet- 


	16. Chapter 16

"Hey!" Sorey shouted as he walked quickly towards them, his hand remaining on the hilt of his sword as he prepared for any eventuality in the altercation to come.

The couple on the ground turned and breathlessly looked at him. On Mikleo's face was an expression of anguished horror.

So, it was him.

Sorey took a deep breath, disgusted by the pungent smell of sex but unable to do much about it. He watched as Mikleo hurried away from them both, his shaking hands looking for the rest of his clothing while the lover stood up, growling at Sorey with no motions made to cover himself at all.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he asked, standing at least a head taller than Sorey as he approached, hands planted on his hips. He was human, Sorey noticed. He wondered if this disgusting creature was in some way a replacement for himself.

Mikleo dressed with his back turned, the long flowing edges of his black tunic sparing him modesty even as he bent to pull on his pants. "Don't talk to him like that," he warned harshly, his voice raw and husky as it carried a warning tone.

The lover looked back at him with almost more surprise than he leveled at Sorey. "What was that? You're upset at the way I'm talking? This pervert just walked in here and--"

"He's not some pervert!" Mikleo shouted, looking briefly at Sorey before turning his face away again. He busied himself instead with the buttons on his coat.

He was beautiful, Sorey noticed. How had his lovely friend somehow managed to become even more beautiful as the years had gone by? It was a cruel testament to their scattered fate that someone like this human should be welcome to partake of it so freely.

The lover scowled, looking Sorey up and down discriminately. "You have to be kidding me. This is him?" he laughed, shaking his head with the mirthless sound. "Never mind. Of course it is. You wouldn't be acting like this if it wasn't the be-all, end-all Sorey."

Sorey got in his face, drawing his sword out enough to press the hilt into the other man's stomach. "Yeah. I am Sorey. So do us all a favor and get the hell out of here."

The words felt harsh but he couldn't fight the anger the fueled them, his senses so fully assaulted by their activities that he could not clear his head. The room smelled of sex, the man in front of him was still half-hard and fully exposed, Mikleo's voice was wrecked, his hair and clothes in disarray. Sorey had never imagined a nightmare such as this wherein he had the distinct displeasure of watching another man have sex with his beloved as the basis of their reunion. It made his stomach roll with cold bile, his throat tight and chest feeling hollow.

The lover looked down at Sorey's sword, seeming not in the least bit intimidated. "Don't try and start something you're not prepared to finish," he said.

So Sorey drew his dull blade and smashed him over the skull.

The lover hit the ground in one limp lump, collapsing down like a broken column and remaining unmoving at Sorey's feet. Blood pooled on the polished stone floor--far more blood than seemed possible from a single blow. Sorey looked down at him and found he felt no remorse even as the idea that he had perhaps murdered him echoed in his own mind. Good riddance. He didn't care. For touching Mikleo, the man didn't deserve to live.

Mikleo was staring, his lavender eyes wide and his mouth held thin. He looked to the man on the floor then immediately up at Sorey. The fear and lack of comprehension in his face made Sorey almost pity him. Almost. Surely he understood better than this. That human was unworthy. And Mikleo...

"Sorey..." Mikleo took a step back, kneeling slowly as he stooped to pick up his fallen staff. "Sorey, there's... malevolence. You're becoming a hellion..."

Becoming? No. Becoming meant this was the beginning. Sorey felt much more as though this were an end to all things that had come before.

Sorey felt darkness engulf his sword, granting him more power--power he'd lost when he's ceased to be a Shepherd. "You were supposed to wait for me," he said, staring at Mikleo with cold, dead eyes.

Mikleo covered his mouth with his hands as he sank to his knees.

 

[It doesn't have to end like this.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897959)  
[This is the only option left.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897952)


	17. Chapter 17

It happened almost as an afterthought. Sorey walked towards Mikleo with his sword held out with the expectation of some form of struggle only to find his sword easily embedded in Mikleo's traitorous chest. He doubted there still existed a heart inside him to stab; was almost surprised to see the foul creature could even bleed. His lavender eyes were wide and teary, his arms extending outwards not to guard against him but to tug Sorey close. How many years had it been, Sorey wondered, as he resisted the pull of Mikleo's hands as they grasped the loose ends of his shirt. 

"S.. So..rey..." Blood oozed from his parted lips as Mikleo slowly slid back off the sword and to the ground, slumped and still, his breath rasping loudly until his chest finally ceased its movement and the sounds of the dying gave way to death. 

Search ended, then. Mission accomplished. Sorey had left his world of pleasant dreams to find his beloved and there he lay. Sliding his sword back into its sheath, Sorey looked around at the engravings and runes carved into the ancient stone. It'd be a waste not to take his time and fully explore this beautiful place. He had all the time in the world to devote to the beauty of an impermanent history in an age where there was nothing else of value that still lived.

 **THE END**  
-Impermanence-


	18. Chapter 18

Carefully considering the stones on which he seemed determined to walk across, Sorey took his first hesitant step onto the natural bridge. The stone was every bit as slippery as it seemed though keeping balanced was not as difficult as he feared it might have been. With slow steps, he carefully made his way out across the river. The water soaked his shoes and the bottoms of his pants. It was colder than he'd thought it would be, apparently running down from the mountains further north. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted, though. He moved slowly over the slippery stone.

It only took one misstep to send him into the waves. One slip, one over correction, one patch of algae he hadn't detected under the crash of white water over rock. He landed in the water with an erupting splash, the cold sapping him of strength as much as it shocked him to his core. He couldn't swim. He'd grown up on a mountain; he'd never seen more water than that which pooled on their green slopes on Elysia. He did what he thought must be right, thrashing his arms and legs to try and find the surface. He felt sluggish, though, and disorientated. Rocks scraped against his head and body as he felt dragged along the river's floor.

This never would have happened if Mikleo had been there.

New to life, Sorey choked and drowned, proving seraphim very much needed to breathe.

THE END   
-Nope-


	19. Chapter 19

Mikleo smelled of summer and tasted like the quartz. His skin was warm against his lips but felt cool against his tongue. There was no lovelier sound than that of Mikleo's stuttered gasp to Sorey's ears as he kissed and sucked along the slender length of his companion's throat. The seraphim's thin fingers curled into the cloth of Sorey's shirt as he wordlessly accepted him, great pains taken in hiding his voice as his breathing rang out just a whisper below a moan. Sorey loved the way his beloved tried to show off even with no one else there to know. He was weak at his neck and weaker still as one moved down. It was almost just another game to play for them to see who became loudest with desire first.

There was never anyone there to find them. Privacy was eternal in Sorey's perfect Elysian dream. He could undo Mikleo's shirt without any worry of them being seen. He could kiss his collar bone and caress his sensitive sides without any worries other than of whether or not Mikleo was happy to go along with the direction in which he felt compelled to lead. The way Mikleo arched into his mouth as he bit tenderly into the budding flesh of a rosy nipple, hands dragging Sorey's hips down to grind into his thigh put hesitancy on hold and assurance at the forefront, emboldening every move Sorey could make. Mikleo--his Mikleo. Not his shadow but his echo; the part of him that always answered back and was his true reflection. Sorey bit down on the other nipple, harder than before but careful to stop before injury. The resulting whine of confused pleasure that broke past the silence made his blood turn to fire. 

"G-aaah! S-Sorey! Haa..." Mikleo's fingers dug hard into Sorey's skin, impatience spurring on the thrusting of his hips as he shivered still at the caress of gloved fingers down his waist.

Sorey wanted more of those sounds, more of his ecstasy, more of _him_. He wanted to leave all traces of childhood behind and recapture that breathless, heart pounding excitement of youth in this their unmistakable joining. They belonged together. They belonged as one. He'd felt it before in a million different ways but never as urgently as in this with Mikleo all but begging for him.

 

[No more. It's time to go to the real Mikleo.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897968)   
[No more gloves. No more clothes. Just unity.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897947)


	20. Chapter 20

Sorey awoke with a purpose in his soul that demanded his attention. It was time for him to live the life he'd put on hold and the northern lands were calling for him. His time of sleeping was done. 

The malevolence still stung, clawing delicately at his human body as Sorey made his goodbyes to Maotelus. There was perhaps more that the two of them could accomplish but the Lord wasn't so heartless as to deny Sorey his hearts desire after the passing of centuries. 

Time once again ticked by at a steady pace as Sorey rejoined the living and walked the land. Mikleo was waiting for him.

Sorey wasn't sure why the north was calling to him but it felt right to follow that pull. Perhaps it was because he'd already seen the sights in all other directions. Perhaps he just wished to avoid trekking through Camlann once more. It felt good to walk again, though, and to breathe in the cool air. He almost hoped that he'd find snow, his other journey marked mostly by forests and desert. After years of dreams and memories, he longed for something new.

It didn't take long before Sorey found himself at a cross roads, however, with two signs pointing in opposite directions of the trail. To the left the road promised a river with the right sign directing Sorey to a town. Looking down each path, he could see the promised sights in the distance though the river route hinted towards something more given the outcropping of stone columns peaking out from the trees. Ruins perhaps? Sorey felt flush with excitement while the practical part of his mind reminded him that he had no gear. As much as the possibility of ruins excited him, there was some merit in perhaps waiting and first visiting the town. If he chose the town, though, it would be another day or more before he could return to the river ruins on the opposite path. 

Sorey crossed his arms over his chest, finger curled at his lip as he tried to reason out the best way to go...

 

[The ruins are calling me!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897944)  
[Better to be prepared; head to the town!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898076)


	21. Chapter 21

Sorey gently stroked Mikleo's face, wiping away the sweet cascade of tears that burned the skin red. "One would almost think you had a heart to break," he mused. Mikleo shuddered as he lay exhausted on the floor.

The lover scooted back several feet, no longer forced to his knees with his job now complete. He watched Sorey as though waiting for some chance to attack, his deflated dick still shiny with lube and semen while Mikleo's red ass kept its consignment within. They looked utterly spent; completely exhausted. They should have thought of that before they decided to desecrate an ancient temple and Sorey's heart and soul while they were at it.

The atmosphere was much more calm and quiet. The smell, on the other hand, had only gotten worse.

"Are there others?" Sorey found himself asking as he gently brushed Mikleo's hair from his face.

Flinching, the seraph turned away, curling up as though hair alone might hide him.

That, it seemed, was a yes.

Sorey's hand balled into a fist as Mikleo slowly pushed himself to sit. His black tunic was a rumpled mess but it hang long enough to grant him modesty. Not that he would appear to have any of that left.

"Are they all just cheap replacements for me?"

Mikleo's head snapped so quickly in Sorey's direction it left him momentarily startled. "Of course they were!" he shouted, his voice hoarse and raspy. "My life didn't stop just because you were asleep! Do you have any idea how lonely I've been?! How much I wanted you to come back?! I waited for you! I'm still waiting! My heart was only yours; how dare you do this now when you're the one who left me from the start!" He moaned desperately, his face falling to his hands as he rocked back and forth. "Oh, Sorey! You're tainted. You're a hellion. What am I supposed to do if you're a hellion?!"

A hellion? Maybe. It didn't really bother him either way. 

Sorey stroked Mikleo's head gently, remembering the way the fluffy locks had always felt in the past. His Mikleo had changed so much over the years. If Sorey was truly a hellion, it only made sense that his irredeemable friend join him in a shared storm of malevolence. He extended the gun towards him, smiling knowingly as he pressed it to Mikleo's arm. "You let me down, Mikleo. You're the cause of all of this. Do something useful with your life and get rid of the trash."

The seraph shuddered with hurt. The lover took the opportunity to attack their sadistic assailant while his weapon was no longer drawn and ready. He only lasted long enough to take one full step towards Sorey, though, before the gun went off and the human's body hit the floor in a messy splattering of brains. 

Mikleo tossed the smoking gun aside as scales began to creep up along his forearm.

With a sigh and a hum, Sorey wrapped his arms around him, drawing him tight to his chest. "There you are," he declared with an release of joy. "That's much more like _my_ Mikleo."

Mikleo trembled at the outpouring of darkness. At least, in some way, he'd made Sorey proud of him again.

 **THE END**  
-The Sadistic Voyeur-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my fault. You had plenty of other choices along the way.


	22. Chapter 22

The path towards the river was lush and green if not slightly overgrown as Sorey navigated the narrow path. In the distance, he could hear the river rushing though through the trees he could still see nothing of the water. What he could see were huge stone ruins in a state of complete decay, all structures crumbled with an entrance seemingly destroyed. It was a shame to see, though more peculiar were the wreaths of flowers leaning up against the stone. They weren't fresh, necessarily, but there were several bouquets all left at different times given their own decay. It gave the wind a strangely pungent odor of sour sweetness. Sorey bowed his head respectfully to the rubble in recognition of the loss the flowers were meant to mark. Such a shame that life and historically relevant ruins were both lost to all now. No loss was ever welcome. Nothing destroyed was better than its whole.

It was quite a ways walk before Sorey finally came upon the river. The waves were wild, the water wide, and the bridge no better than a slick arrangement of stones. On the other side, the path continued into the forest with no other signs to guide him.

[Continue on across the river](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898009)  
[Turn back and explore the town](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898054)


	23. Chapter 23

Mikleo almost sounded as though he actually understood but almost wasn't nearly good enough.

Sorey looked at the lover who's eyes watched Sorey with hatred burning from their core. He supposed, from one perspective, he certainly might look like the bad guy here. It just went to show how little the lover really new about the man he was sheathed fully within. "You know," he began, sparing a few more glances away from Mikleo's conflicted face. "As a seraphim, Mikleo has plenty of powers that don't require the use of his staff. But look at him here just writhing and whimpering like there's nothing he can possibly do. Truth is, he could get me far away from you both and end this right now if he wanted. But he'd have to hurt me in order to do that. Look how little cares about you or himself when the thing he's faced with is me."

Mikleo all but screamed, his hand gripping Sorey's forearm tight. "Stop it! This isn't you! Just stop this now!"

"You're right. This isn't me," Sorey agreed without care or pause. "But what really matters is that this _is_ you. You're one hundred percent this vile, faithless whore who turned his back on me."

"No!"

"Don't be negligent in your duty," Sorey called back to the lover. "Make him come. I want to hear him scream your name. If he even knows it."

Mikleo fought to get away with a shriek, his trembling muscles struggling against the lover who obeyed on penalty of death to fuck him to completion. He let go of Sorey's arm to claw at him instead, fighting with every bit of strength he still possessed in a paralysis of carnal pleasure.

Sorey glared at him. "Give up on yourself the way you gave up on me," he told him.

With a desperate howl, Mikleo arched his back on a surge of bliss that overwhelmed him but brought no satisfaction. He wept loudly, the sound broken and raw as his lover too reached his limit. It was enlightening to watch two people reach the height of pleasure with only disgust visible on their faces. That was the way it should have been. Out of all of them, Sorey was the one who took the most joy from their fruition.

 

[Stop this.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897955)  
[More.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898025)


	24. Chapter 24

It was another perfect day in Elysia with nothing to worry about and no cares except for each other. Sorey ran down the mountain, knowing Mikleo would be close behind him, laughing as the sun kissed his face and the wind tussled his hair. There was nothing in all of the world he longed for more than the exhilaration of life with Mikleo at his side, both of them lost for breath and aching from exertion with smiles so wide it hurt their cheeks. Life on their mountain was better than anything else the world below had to offer.

Looking back over his shoulder, Sorey beamed at his companion as Mikleo tried to overtake him in pursuit, his lithe figure elegant in a run but his legs no match for Sorey's stride. Sorey laughed at his assured victory even though the destination to which they ran was a mystery. He was winning. He had won. Even desperate to win, Mikleo's face was as joyous as it was intense with rivalry. This was them. The pounding of their hearts, the rush of breath through their lungs--this was everything they'd ever known and everything Sorey had ever wanted. He'd never longed for anything but for more experiences with Mikleo at his side.

 

[The time for dreaming is over. Let's go back.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898075)  
[Those were such wonderful times...](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897976)


	25. Chapter 25

Sorey fell to the grass beside Mikleo, his breath heavy and his body shaking from exertion and reward. Even still, he wrapped his arms around Mikleo, bringing him in close to hold against his pounding chest. He could feel the syncopation of their heartbeats slowly settle into on shared rhythm of life. Their breathing took on a deep pattern to match as they laid quietly, staring up at the sky.

"We're even dirtier now," Mikleo commented, breaking the poignant quiet with lighthearted jest. Romance was still somewhat unnatural for them without the efforts of teasing to temper the blatant honesty. It was acceptable to be in love and to show love and to exist as lovers but it was strange in certain ways to up front about it.

Sorey nestled his nose into Mikleo's hair, breathing deep the salty smell of his sweat. "If you want, I can make it up to you while we bathe in the spring," he proposed.

Mikleo blushed, scowling slightly even as he gently stroked the skin of Sorey's arm. "Like you could get it up in water that cold," he teased.

Sorey laughed loudly, taking it as a challenge to be met.

 

[This is it. Now is the time to wake up.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897986)   
[I never want this to end.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898063)


	26. Chapter 26

Sorey wasn't about to let someone be killed or even hurt while he was there to stop it. Without thinking, he charged forward, silently advancing upon the room in which the fight had commenced. He'd break it up and, after they were separated, try and help them work through whatever had caused a fight to break out. Sorey only hoped he wouldn't arrive too late.

As he slid into the room, his eyes easily fell upon the two figures within, their clothes only partially discarded and the groans and shouts suddenly taking on an entirely different understanding. There were two men on the ground, one on his hands and knees while the other knelt behind him, hands holding roughly to the first man's hips as he bucked into him to the loud smack of skin.

"Ga-ah~!" the first man moaned, his long hair hiding his face though his voice seemed alarmingly familiar. "N-no, I... I-! Ah!"

The second man chuckled, grabbing a fistful of hair to pull back on his lover's head. "No one's around for miles. Go ahead and scream," he taunted.

With his head pulled back, Sorey caught the glimmer of blue light reflecting unmistakably off the gemstone set in the circlet worn by the man on his hands and knees. Pale skin and hair that faded to darker aqua...

Sorey saw red.

He grabbed his ceremonial sword and charged, striking hard at the head of the man who dared assault his dearest Mikleo. As quickly as he came running, though, Mikleo was faster. His staff was in his hand in a second, a spell cast and aimed straight at Sorey as he sent an ice lance flying towards what he'd assumed was some faceless attacker.

Their eyes met. Lavender irises grew wide in recognition and horror, tears springing in the wake of a guttural scream.

That horror remained the last thing Sorey ever saw as the lance of ice pieced through his eye and exited with a heavy splash of brains and blood through the back of his skull.

 _The End_  
-Blinded-


	27. Chapter 27

The town itself sparked no solid memories though Sorey couldn't discount the idea that he might have visited once before. Road names like Twin Flow Dr. and Misty Reef Boulevard pulled his attention acutely, the curious nature of water themed roads seeming quite odd in a valley town under the shadow of a tall cliff. Nothing seemed out of place, per se, but then he wasn't sure what could be counted as normal. All he knew was he needed to find someone who might have some answers and that there was definitely something to this place that deserved further inspection.

A human woman standing by a storefront caught his eye, her lazy nature making her seem approachable as he walked towards her on the sidewalk. She looked up and smiled at him, her eyes wrinkling in the corners. "Can I help you?" he asked, as she bowed her head slightly in the seraph's presence. 

Sorey was only too pleased. "I'm looking for a friend but I don't know where to even start," he explained, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly. "I don't suppose there are more seraphim in this town I might be able to speak to?"

The woman frowned thoughtfully. "Not of recent, no. Sorry, dear. We're a bit out of the way for most travelers as well."

It wasn't anything he hadn't in some way expected to hear. He was looking for a needle in a haystack. Sorey nodded, not sure what else to do in that case other than press on. Surely there would be other places where seraphim could help guide him in the right direction.

"Have you tried the pub?" the woman asked, regaining his attention. "If there's anyone from outside the town, you'll likely find them there. And the local bard has a fair wealth of local connections which might help you."

Sorey's mood instantly brightened, every bit of help more than enough to keep his spirits raised. "I'll head there immediately. Thank you!" he said as they parted, his feet taking him back towards the lively building he'd seen before.

[To the pub](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897992)


	28. Chapter 28

It was because of the malevolence that Sorey forced himself to take several steps back, turning away from the lover's congress to stalk back towards the distant stairs. If he staid, there was no telling what he'd do. Dark thoughts already plagued his mind with the desire to hurt, to humiliate and to kill. And he'd do it all--he knew he would. It was as terrifying as it was delightful to imagine the looks on their traitorous faces.

Outside the ruins, Sorey didn't dare stop walking. If he did, the compulsion to turn around and go back inside would take him down into paths best unknown. There was only one place he knew of, one place that would welcome him. Sorey made his way back up the trails along the plateau and hurried straight back to Artorius' Throne. Maotelus would still have a place for him. They could dream together or perhaps even find a life to enjoy while awake. If Mikleo could carry on without him, Sorey could find a new plan for life as well. The darkness in him could be forgotten. The rage and heartbreak could be overcome.

Scholars would one day come to understand that day as the formation of a new age of chaos. 

**THE END**  
-Like Father, Like Son-


	29. Chapter 29

The path towards the town wound around the edges of the plateau from which Sorey was walking down, to his right a wall of rock and to his left a sheer drop to the valley below. It was sturdy path but Sorey kept close to the inside edge all the same. He could see the town not more than a day's journey nestled deep in the cleared lands and the continuation of his path as it wrapped around the cliff edges in a slow decline. There were pastures of livestock grazing and a few plots of land adding color to the valley of grass and brown roof tops. A simple town; a sleepy little village. Sorey already felt quite at ease.

The trip was thankfully uneventful. Sorey said hello to a few fellow travelers as he came down the path, their greetings warming his heart though he wasn't entirely sure why. Something about their being humans and his own being now that of a seraphim? It didn't seem to matter. They were kind and pleasant to him. Whatever the cause of his unique pleasure, it seemed better to enjoy than to worry about. In the town itself there was laughing and conversation, the evening hours coming upon them with a rustle of activity rather than a descent into stillness and quiet. Most activity seemed to be coming from the local public house but there seemed to be some lights still on in other buildings as well.

[Go to the pub](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897992)  
[Investigate the town](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898045)


	30. Chapter 30

Sorey wasn't about to let someone be killed or even hurt while he was there to stop it, but not knowing the whole story could put him on the side of wrong. Moving stealthily, Sorey quietly advancing upon the room in which the fight had commenced. He'd sneak in and hopefully find cover from which to survey the scene. Sorey only hoped he wouldn't be too late.

As he slunk into the room, his eyes easily fell upon the two figures within, their clothes only partially discarded and the groans and shouts suddenly taking on an entirely different understanding. There were two men on the ground, one on his hands and knees while the other knelt behind him, hands holding roughly to the first man's hips as he bucked into him to the loud smack of skin. Sorey was instantly glad he hadn't charged in, blushing as it was to be disturbing the couple before him. Keeping close to the wall, Sorey tried to back out, choosing a different path to avoid them and hopefully never have to mention this to a soul.

It was hard to ignore them, though. 

"Ga-ah~!" he could hear one of them moan, "N-no, I... I-! Ah!" The voice was somewhat familiar in a way that made Sorey pause just as much as the stuttered 'no'.

The second man chuckled, grabbing a fistful of hair to pull back on his lover's head. "No one's around for miles. Go ahead and scream," he taunted.

Sorey bit his lip, deciding it best to stay and make sure everything was alright. He turned his attention to the man on his hands and knees, trying to detect his level of distress. With his head pulled back, the strange blue light of the temple reflected unmistakably off the gemstone set in the circlet on his head. Pale skin and hair that faded to darker aqua at its ends... Breath caught in Sorey's throat as his hand came to rest on the hilt of his ceremonial sword.

"Ah! Ha! H-harder!" Mikleo demanded, his eyes closed tight as he desperately moved against his lover.

Sorey's blood ran cold and he listened as the lover chuckled, pistoning harder as Mikleo's cries grew louder still.

That couldn't be Mikleo, though. That didn't make any sense. Mikleo was waiting for Sorey, not rutting on his knees in the middle of forgotten ruins. 

But it sounded like him. It looked like him. He even wore Mikleo's circlet on his head. Everything about him was just as Sorey remembered or could imagine of a older version of his beloved--minus the lover driving into him from behind.

Sorey's mouth felt dry as he watched them, looking for some clue that would make it impossible to believe. If that was his Mikleo, what the hell was going on? Sorey's hand tightened on his sword as he breathed deep of the sour air.

 

[This ends now.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897994)  
[Wait a little longer.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898084)


	31. Chapter 31

Sleep is a timeless plane of existence that manifests as an eternity and yet remains unflinchingly fleeting. A moment in the mind can be ages in the world just as lifetimes can be lived through dreams in the blink of a tired eye. Time has no rhyme or reason in the confines of unconsciousness. And for Sorey, that is all that exists any more.

Satisfied by an endless dream in which he and Mikleo were able to live out their perfect, idealized life, the Shepherd remained asleep, kept alive until the eventual death of Maotelus in a paradise that knew no suffering or wanting. Even in death, Sorey's consciousness was at peace with only thoughts of love which defined his very being. Whatever became of the real Mikleo stopped being a concern ages ago, or perhaps it was only a matter of seconds. Time was a very strange thing to the sleeping. The only constant was the ways in which time finally stopped when the sleeping became the dead.

 **The End**  
-Dream Ending-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be honest, for how many of you was this your first ending?


	32. Chapter 32

Sorey rummaged through the bag he'd picked up from the path to town, taking from it not the rope as he'd once thought to use but the gun waiting patiently for his hand. Like the forgotten traveler crushed to death under the rocks, Sorey felt as though he too had been abandoned to time. His ornamental sword wouldn't do much to cause a panic, but a gun at least could offer him the power he needed to exact some revenge.

Mikleo was supposed to wait for him. Mikleo was supposed to love him.

Walking towards them, Sorey kept the gun raised, making sure to be as quiet as possible least he grab their attention too quickly. It wasn't hard to get the drop on them. They were far too engrossed in other things. He put the gun to the lover's head, making sure the click of a readied chamber rang out near his ear. The man went still, intelligent enough to sense danger. Sorey reached out with his other hand to hold his shoulder tight.

"Grab his hair like you did before," Sorey ordered, keeping his voice low. There were only precious seconds to spare before Mikleo cued in to the fact his lover had completely stopped.

The human obeyed, his muscles taut as he grabbed Mikleo's ponytail and forced his head back once more. Mikleo whined in desperation, his eyes opening towards the ceiling. Sorey stepped around to be sure he too could be seen, his gun still pointed level with the lover's head.

It took Mikleo far longer than Sorey appreciated for his face to contort with recognition. Guilt and shame and abject horror all played out in his lavender eyes, pinching across his beautiful face. He tried to pull away, to hide himself and his present deeds, but he was effectively caught between his lover and the limitations of his own neck. Sorey watched him squirm not from pleasure but from humiliation. It was in many ways a satisfying thing to watch.

Gun carefully aimed, Sorey walked around them until he stood in front of Mikleo, kneeling down to better close the distance between them. He only took his eyes off him for the moment it took to address his lover, his finger itching to pull the trigger but unwilling to lose this singular opportunity. "Continue," he said, gesturing with a wave of his free hand. "I'm pretty sure he was begging for more. If you can't keep it up with a gun in your face, then make better use of your other hand. But I believe this seraph is dying for release. Get to it. Didn't sound like it'd be much of a challenge."

Mikleo sobbed, trying to shake his head though his hair held his chin up high. "Sorey!" he called with tears in his eyes.

Sorey ignored him, waiting for his lover to get back to his task. The flush was already leaving Mikleo's pale white skin. 

The lover was hesitant, though, his fingers flexing in their grasp on his hair. "If you touch him, I swear--"

Amethyst waves rolled over Sorey's arm towards the gun. "I've no interest in touching _this_ ," he all but spat. "I just want to talk to him and for you to give him everything he said he wants. So if you've still got it up, I suggest you take him hard. I heard that correctly, right Mikleo?"

Mikleo grit his teeth against a frustrated cry, the whites of his eyes tinged with red from tears. A quick thrust from the human with decent survival instincts had his eyes squeezed tight as he tried to swallow further sound. Sorey watched as the lover built back up to a jarring rhythm, watched as Mikleo tried to fight pleasure, agony accompanying every failure to disguise. Every pleasant sensation was met with whimpers of degradation and remorse. Sorey watched his face, not allowing Mikleo any out from which to run. This was what Mikleo desired now, wasn't it? What reason did he had now to hide?

"On your hands and knees like some kind of animal," Sorey remarked, loving the way Mikleo flinched and whimpered at the sound of his voice. "So you get fucked by any old human now, hm? And in ruins no less. Did you start bouncing on strange cocks the minute I went to sleep or is this simply your idea of helping to improve human and seraphim relations?"

Mikleo's mournful wail broke on a hiccup that dispersed into a startled gasp.

Sorey smirked at the shameful display. "Do you think of me when he's getting you off or do you prefer it rough as a form of punishment? Did you think I'd be accepting of this disgusting side of you? Did you think of me at all before you chose to abandon me?"

"Sorey!" Mikleo all but screamed, his hand rising to reach out for him before settling instead over his face to hide behind as he rocked hard on every thrust.

Sorey pulled the hand away, not willing to give him such reprieve. Mikleo adjusted his grip, holding tight to Sorey's forearm instead now that part of him was within his reach. "Sorey! No! No!" he panted, tears splashing to the ground. 

He almost sounded as though he actually understood. Sorey could almost believe he knew what a disgusting liar he'd become.

 

[Stop this.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897982)  
[More.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898034)


	33. Chapter 33

Sorey awoke, surrounded in darkness and with a heavy weight crushing down on him from all sides. It stole his breath away as he stared into the void, verdant eyes watering in the sudden influx of pain. The malevolence around him was unimaginable in its darkness and magnitude. It was pulled towards Maotelus, drawn to the dragon lord where he breathed it in like a tree, purification coming through as the byproduct of its consumption. Sorey was amazed at the intensity of hate and horror around him, his Shepherd senses pounding against his psyche in revulsion to the thickness of malevolence that enshrines them both.

He hadn't known it would be like this.

Struggling to rise, Sorey pulled himself up among the swirling vortex of purple fear, stumbling along the grief and anguish only to trip into frothing rage. It felt as though he were being pulled apart as he struggled to pull himself out of the malevolence and towards the exit. Mikleo--he'd abandoned Mikleo. He'd slept enough now, surely; it was time for him to go. But the negativity around him was slowly beginning to seep in, dragging him down towards the depths of despair from which mankind so easily become lost.

And then, in the snapping of a toothy jaw, Sorey stopped worrying about being corrupted by the darkness enveloping him. He stopped worrying about anything. Sorey, in all ways, stopped. Maotelus was wise enough to know when a human's intervention was no longer welcome. He'd suffered one Lord of Calamity already. He hadn't the will to bother with one again.

 

 **The End**  
-False Start-


	34. Chapter 34

Sorey took the path towards the town, reminding himself that there was no hurry. Ruins didn't disappear in a matter of minutes, and if his quest was to locate Mikleo, going into town and questioning the locals was by far the more sensible choice. He'd get food, supplies, and information and _then_ head out to explore. Besides which, ruins would be far more fun if he somehow managed to find Mikleo first. All that said, he still felt a little reluctant to walk in the opposite direction without so much as a peek.

The path wound around the edges of the plateau from which Sorey was walking down, to his right a wall of rock and to his left a sheer drop to the valley below. It was sturdy path but Sorey kept close to the inside edge all the same. He could see the town not more than a day's journey nestled deep in the cleared lands and the continuation of his path as it wrapped around the cliff edges in a slow decline. There were pastures of livestock grazing and a few plots of land adding color to the valley of grass and brown roof tops. A simple town; a sleepy little village. Sorey already felt quite at ease.

His journey came to a sudden halt, however, as the path ended before a large deposit of rocks that seemed to have fallen from above. The massive boulders were far too heavy to dislodge and broke apart the stability of the path not otherwise obscured. Sorey wouldn't be able to get to the town this way, though looking both up and down the cliff face offered no other alternatives. He did, however, notice a brown pack left abandoned on the path at his feet.

Kneeling down to pick it up, Sorey noticed a distinctive smell emanating from the stones, his eyes rising to search for the source and finding fingers and blood seeping out from under the ruble. His breath caught as he stared, the smell unmistakably that of rotting flesh as he kept perfectly still. Someone had died here. Someone had been crushed to death on this path.

Standing up, Sorey looked up again to try and see where the boulders had fallen from. Could such big rocks just dislodge themselves and fall on their own? Could a person just happen to be that unlucky? This wasn't a fresh corpse; why had no one in the village come to claim the body of this lost human being? It made Sorey feel sick to think of someone being so forgotten or uncared for as to be left to rot in the middle of a path that surely someone must have taken notice of before Sorey's unfortunate find. How could they do something so uncaring as to abandon the body on the path without even so much as a maker left in remembrance if utility were the main obstacle. It wasn't right. Were hearts still this full of selfishness and hate?

Sorey clenched his fist as he took a deep breath and looked through the dead person's satchel. Nothing inside gave any insight as to who it was--no books or writing of any kind that might serve as journal or other identifier. There was only some rope, a gun, and some moldy bread standing testament to just how long they'd been abandoned to the elements. Sorey gave thanks to the dead body and stacked stones in proper accord where a marker should have been. It wasn't much but it was the least he could do and still worlds more than the humans below had thought to do for the dead.

Sorey had no desire to find an alternative rout to the village below. He was disgusted and full of anger towards them. He needed to walk, needed to distance himself from the fact that the world was still no better than he'd left it. He had rope now, at least. That was something to be grateful for and would certainly come in handy. He just needed distance and perspective for now. For now, he'd seek out the ruins.

 

[The ruins are calling.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897944)


	35. Chapter 35

[place holder]


	36. Chapter 36

Mikleo's gasps and moans were loud and indecent as they echoed forth from his taut throat, the hand on his head still forcing his head back by the fistful of hair in its grasp. Mikleo didn't seem to mind it at all, his earlier cries for his lover to fuck him harder painting him in an entirely new light from the young man Sorey remembered laying with. This man, this Mikleo, was glutinous in his determination to make every thrust force a cry from his moistened lips. 

"You like that?" the lover asked, his voice making Sorey's skin crawl. It was much easier to watch Mikleo bucking in passion without having any reminders there was an actual person involved in eliciting those sounds and expressions. 

Mikleo didn't have words anymore. Every sound was a reaction born off the slap of the man's hips against his backside, his voice high and needy as his toes and fingers curled. The lover let go of his hair and instead slapped him hard against the thigh, a red stain blooming instantly against his pale flesh. Sorey grew angry but Mikleo only keened. 

Who was this person who used to be his Mikleo?

The smells, the sights and the sounds of sex made Sorey's skin crawl and his stomach churn. He had never in all his nights dreamed of a situation in which this might be his reunion with his beloved: watching him get roughly reamed by a complete stranger with every indication he was loving it. And his choice in lover? Sorey wanted to vomit. It was a human. Unmistakably the man thrusting into his friend was a human like himself and it didn't take a genius to think up a few reasons why a seraph might make such a choice. 

This half-naked jackass was Sorey's surrogate. His replacement. An imitation. He looked nothing like Sorey except for the brown hair on his head but it was easy enough for Sorey to feel assured. It burned inside him like fire, sitting cold like a stone in his gut but hot through his veins and his head. Their cries of pleasure only instilled in him more rage. He couldn't take it any longer. The malevolence inside him was too strong to simply keep at bay.

 

[While you still can, turn around and walk away.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898051)  
[Punish the lover.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18897953)  
-OR-  
If you found the dead man's pack, [punish Mikleo.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8246590/chapters/18898066)


	37. Chapter 37

Here is the list of all possible endings:

False Start (x2)  
Dream Ending  
A Life Less Lived  
Happily Ever After  
Blinded  
Chaos Reigns  
Forsaken  
The Sadistic Voyeur  
Impermanence (x2)  
Like Father, Like Son  
Hide and Seek  
Escape  
Nope  
The Uncontested Plummet

X2 means there are two ways to get this same ending.

Which was your favorite?


End file.
